How severe is CVE-2016-1909?

CVE-2016-1909 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2016-1909 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 71% (99th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-1909?

CVE-2016-1909 primarily affects Fortinet Fortios. In total, 10 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-1909?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2016-1909 published?

CVE-2016-1909 was published on 2016-01-15 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-1909

CVE-2016-1909 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Fortinet Fortios with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 71% places it in the 99th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-264.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 10.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 71% (99th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-264
Affected product: Fortinet Fortios
Published: 2016-01-15
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Fortinet FortiAnalyzer before 5.0.12 and 5.2.x before 5.2.5; FortiSwitch 3.3.x before 3.3.3; FortiCache 3.0.x before 3.0.8; and FortiOS 4.1.x before 4.1.11, 4.2.x before 4.2.16, 4.3.x before 4.3.17 and 5.0.x before 5.0.8 have a hardcoded passphrase for the Fortimanager_Access account, which allows remote attackers to obtain administrative access via an SSH session.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-1909?: Fortinet FortiAnalyzer before 5.0.12 and 5.2.x before 5.2.5; FortiSwitch 3.3.x before 3.3.3; FortiCache 3.0.x before 3.0.8; and FortiOS 4.1.x before 4.1.11, 4.2.x before 4.2.16, 4.3.x before 4.3.17 and 5.0.x before 5.0.8 have a hardcoded passphrase for the Fortimanager_Access account, which allows remote attackers to obtain administrative access via an SSH session.
How severe is CVE-2016-1909?: CVE-2016-1909 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2016-1909 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 71% (99th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-1909?: CVE-2016-1909 primarily affects Fortinet Fortios. In total, 10 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-1909?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2016-1909 published?: CVE-2016-1909 was published on 2016-01-15 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (10)

cpe:2.3:o:fortinet:fortios:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fortinet:fortios:5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fortinet:fortios:5.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fortinet:fortios:5.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fortinet:fortios:5.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fortinet:fortios:5.0.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fortinet:fortios:5.0.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fortinet:fortios:5.0.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fortinet:fortios:5.0.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fortinet:fortios:5.0.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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